There are times we need to be reminded that life is not like it once was. This becomes increasingly more meaningful especially after we've had bouts of energy that can be delusional to our minds. These are the times we actually feel more whole, wasting energy in a mad dash to complete things that have been sitting for quite some time.

After these bouts we are locked back into the reality of it all as we wait in anticipation for our bodies to heal. Often, this doesn't come as fast enough, and we beat ourselves up for being so driven.

We are all on our own journeys, some further in healing than others. But, the bottom line is that fibroymalgia will rear its ugly head in all our lives in one way or another. This article reminds us to continue to be gentle and forgiving of ourselves.

I think one of the hardest things that I’ve ever had to do was to say goodbye to the life that I loved. I was never really an extrovert, but I really enjoyed being with people. There are some days now when I feel like I went from being an introvert to a hermit, and I hate it.

I used to love cooking, and I can’t even tell you the last time I cooked a meal. Fibromyalgia (FM) prevents me from standing too long, and the fatigue overwhelms me when I try to help cook. It makes me so sad.

I always enjoyed cleaning my house and making sure it was comfortable for my family and times when we had company. I loved it when my kids had their friends over. It was just joyful to me.

But those days are gone for me; my pain has increased and my energy has dwindled, and I don’t anticipate it coming back. So, to my old life and the person I used to be, I needed to say “goodbye.” It’s not healthy to dwell on what we no longer can do, and who we no longer can be.

So, to my new life and the new person I’m becoming day by day, I say “hello.” Hello to more pain and the ability to be more compassionate. Hello to more fatigue, and the time to be there when someone needs me. Hello to the freedom of time I have to devote to writing, and encouraging others who also are struggling with fibromyalgia.

Ask my husband, and he’ll tell you that I absolutely love anything new and different. I like the latest technology, and seem always to be upgrading. I love moving the furniture around, and trying to see how I can make our space more comfortable and interesting. But THIS new and different? Not liking it at all. Due to incredibly low energy I need to enlist my husband’s help when I need to clean or declutter.

When we moved two years ago, so much of the packing and unpacking was delegated to my husband and family; FM rendered me unable to help much. Even packing one box required at least two hours of lying down. When we moved into our new home 45 minutes away, I made sure the bed was unloaded and set up first.

I miss seeing my friends and family. I understand they have busy lives and their own concerns, and don’t necessarily have the time to be thinking about me and how I’m doing. It really doesn’t take much to pick up the phone and give someone a call or send someone a text or card and just say, “Hey I was thinking about you. How are you today?” But in our busy world, it seems people don’t take the time to do that as often as we’d like. It’s probably because they just don’t think of it. But those of us with FM seem to have nothing but time.
​So, it’s very much a reluctant, tearful goodbye to my old life, and a reluctant, tearful hello to my new life. Although I really miss the old me before FM, I’m learning to embrace and enjoy getting to know the new me. -Fibromalgia News Today

Researchers at the University of Colorado Boulder have discovered a brain signature that identifies fibromyalgia (FM) patients with 93 percent accuracy. The discovery opens possibilities for improved fibromyalgia diagnosis and treatments in the future.

The report, “Towards a neurophysiological signature for fibromyalgia,” was published in the journal Pain.
Fibromyalgia (FM) is a condition characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory, and mood issues. Patients with FM show enhanced reaction to painful and non-painful sensations that are accompanied by altered neural responses.

Using functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), the researchers performed brain scans on 37 FM patients and 35 healthy controls. All subjects were exposed to painful pressure and non-painful visual, auditory, and tactile cues during the scans.

Computerized machine-learning techniques allowed the researchers to identify a brain-based FM signature. Specifically, when exposed to the same painful stimuli as people in the healthy control group, FM patients showed greater neurologic pain signature responses. The method relies on a computer algorithm developed by CU Bolder researchers to recognize a complex pattern of neuronal activation in the brains of subjects exposed to pain.

Researchers found that FM patients had increased responses in three sub-markers, which correlated with hypersensitivity to pain characterized by the condition. When researchers combined the neural signature methods, they were able to classify FM patients from controls with 92 percent sensitivity and 94 percent specificity.

“The novelty of this study is that it provides potential neuroimaging-based tools that can be used with new patients to inform about the degree of certain neural pathology underlying their pain symptoms,” Marina López-Solà, a post-doctoral researcher in the university’s Cognitive and Affective Control Laboratory and the lead author of the study, said in a news release.

The tools also provided an initial characterization of individual FM patients based on pathophysiological, symptom-related brain features. Results can help physicians place patients more accurately into subtypes and provide individualized treatments.
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“Though many pain specialists have established clinical procedures for diagnosing fibromyalgia, the clinical label does not explain what is happening neurologically and it does not reflect the full individuality of patients’ suffering,” Tor Wager, director of the laboratory said. “The potential for brain measures like the ones we developed here is that they can tell us something about the particular brain abnormalities that drive an individual’s suffering. That can help us both recognize fibromyalgia for what it is – a disorder of the central nervous system – and treat it more effectively.” - shared by Fibromyalgia News Today

Dr. Howard Hay pioneered the concept of food combining, according to nutritional author Jackie Habgood.His Hay Diet derives from the principle that digestive enzymes and the digestive process vary greatly depending upon the type of food you consume. Hay asserts that the digestive system should not have to handle foods that your body processes differently in the same meal. Followers of the diet must learn how to combine foods using meal plans and menus.

One of the fundamental principles of the Hay Diet is that people should not consume proteins and starches in the same meal, according to Peter Thomson of Peter's Food Combining Shop. This rule extends to highly starchy vegetables, such as potatoes, as well. In addition, highly processed foods that include white flour have no place in the food plan. An ideal protein-based meal might include a tomato- or chili-based soup containing beans, shrimp, salmon or squares of tofu. Try a peanut sauce over stir-fried broccoli or a salad sprinkled with nuts and seeds. A starch-based meal may center on a vegetable soup with a vegetable stock, served with whole grain crackers or brown rice.
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A lunch plan for food combining is relatively simple and follows eating in a specific order for satisfactory digestion. This does not mean that all of these categories of foods should be eaten in the same meal; it means that the categories should be eaten in a specific sequence. The best-digested meals are in fact very simple ones, including a maximum of three foods per meal.

​As you can see in the chart above, the foods have been divided into four general categories:

Fresh fruit

Starches

Animal Protein

Nuts, Seeds & Dried Fruit

For a properly combined meal, simply choose ONE category and only eat foods out of that category for that particular meal. The foods listed within the same category combine well with each other, and you may also include anything from the “Neutral” column to fill out your plate.
Wait 3-4 hours between each meal, before switching categories.

Clinical experience and in-depth testing have begun to point to Lyme disease complex, co infections, and weakened immunity, which could answer the question of that all over flu-like symptoms experienced by fibromyalgia sufferers. More than likely, since your illness is regrettably linked to those infected with Lyme disease, most you have tucked away that negative report you received when you first reported your illness.

Lyme is characterized by an infection called Borrelia, which is a tube-like bacterium that works by releasing bacterial lipoproteins (BLPs). These BLPs are a type of neurotoxin that lead to memory problems; hormonal imbalances; burning neurological pain; generalized inflammation; gastrointestinal discomfort and numbness; not to mention symptoms like swollen lymph nodes; fever and chills; headache and stiff neck; muscle and joint paint; and the most common symptom, lack of energy.

These spirochetes are covered in antigens, which act like fingerprints that make them easy to mark in the immune system. When your Killer T Cells find these antigens, they know to destroy the invading bacteria. However, when the borrelia spirochete burrows into the body, its antigens are smeared over healthy tissue, which the killer T cells attack because they cannot differentiate between healthy and unhealthy tissue. When this happens, it can produce an autoimmune disease or fibromyalgia. The more the spirochete moves through the body, the more BLPs it releases which impairs the immune system, creates inflammations, irritations and wreaks havoc to the peripheral and central nervous system.

Because of this, the early stages of Lyme disease complex can be very difficult to diagnose, even with a blood test. In addition to physical examination results, most doctors will rely on environmental factors such as exposure to ticks. Yet, most patients don't remember getting bitten by a tick.

Here's something you may be unaware of- Patients can contract an infection at any point in their lifetime, but the symptoms can very well lay dormant until the individual is weakened (immune compromised), usually by a traumatic experience such as a major injury, giving birth, receiving a vaccine or even extreme emotional trauma such as divorce or death. Such trauma will undoubtedly affect the HPA axis.

The HPA axis is where experts have argued there is a genetic link to FMS. Chronic Lyme disease complex can affect the Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in two ways: via neurotoxins and genetic shifts. So if imbalances in the HPA axis can lead to Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, depression, insomnia and generalized pain, all of which is related to fibromyalgia, then it seems there is a strong link from Lyme disease complex and its coinfections to FMS.

If you think treating Lyme disease complex is tough, you're right. If it's caught early, antibiotics may nip the problem in the bud. However, this is rarely the case, if Lyme disease is detected at all. Second, the oral antibiotics are usually administrated in a 4-to-6 week period, meaning once that treatment ends, the borrelia will make a comeback, causing the patient to relapse. Furthermore, the antibiotics do not strengthen the immune system and do little to address the co-infections, the secondary infections, the BLP neurotoxins or strip away the protective biofilm, which is a sludge produced by the bacteria to protect itself from antibiotics.

Couple this with trying to find a knowledgeable physician that will be willing to treat you on symptamologies alone since most patients will test negative to Lyme disease. Nonetheless, I have to admit, with more medical journals I read, there are more and more doctors specializing in this field and understanding that conventional medical practices may have to be stepped up a bit to help us. The trick is finding one.

Another result of the chain reaction starting with the stress response stuck in fight-or-flight mode is an all over generalized inflammation. This is actually a low-grade inflammation that results in an achy flu-like feeling.

Inflammation in the immune system responds to tissue injury or foreign invaders like viruses and bacteria. There is evidence for overall mild activation of the immune system in fibromyalgia. Several studies have found high levels of cytokines, chemical messengers of the immune system, in fibromyalgia. This suggests there is the presence of an actual inflammatory response.

Any foreign invader n the body such as a flu or virus is greeting by an army of immune system cells that release chemicals to regulate the process of inflammation. Others have anti-inflammatory detail. The inflammatory cytokines released during an immune response are what actually cause the fatigue and muscle aches experienced during any illness.

The inflammation in fibromyalgia comes from three different pathways that all start with the chronic activation of the fight-or-flight response. First, fascia is in a constant stage of inflammation as the body attempts to repair tissue damage. Second, sleep deprivation itself is known to result in elevated levels of immune cells and inflammatory chemicals such a cytokines. Finally, immune response can be triggered by foreign objects.

Foreign invaders can wreck havoc an an unsuspecting immune system. This can happen as food is broken down into smaller particles in the stomach. These tiny pieces are absorbed through the walls of the intestine into the blood stream. Absorption of nutrients primarily occurs through the cells of the small intestine that have special "doors" that open and shut to allow selected particles through and keep unwanted particles out.

Normally, only very small amounts of particles can slip between these doors of the intestinal walls. But sometimes, certain issues can cause the doors to open more frequently and this is known as "leaky gut syndrome". At this time bacteria, undigested proteins and fats, and other substances can enter the bloodstream and trigger an immune response just as any other foreign invader would receive during an illness. A recent study demonstrated that patients with fibromyalgia have "leakier" intestines that concerned health practitioners. In this study, fibromyalgia patients showed a much higher absorption of substances that normallyshould be too big too fit thorough the walls of theintestine. Actually the "doors" were allowing twice as many large particles through!

These substances when entering the blood stream can provoke an immune response just like any bacteria or virus. This is technically considered an allergy because it is an immune reaction to a normally harmless substance. In fact, allergic myalgia, delayed immune response, was noted in many patients who suffer from fibromyalgia. So not only can you ingest and not tolerate these substances, but you may not know the culprit since it could affect you hours or days after a meal. Sensitivities and allergies to such foods and chemicals can result in muscle aches, pain, and fatigue. By targeting the culprits you can save your own immune response and live an all-over healthier lifestyle.

Previous articles spoke of the need to boost neurotransmitters by incorporating more amino acids in your diet. But the brain needs more than that to survive accurately. It also relies on a host of other needs: hormones, vitamins, minerals, and essential fatty acids. A deficiency in any one of the these can cause mood disorder and pain.

A deficiency of essential fatty acids can create a chain reaction that leads to mood disorders: anxiety, depression, and panic disorders. We are unable to manufacture these in the body so it is important that we obtain these from foods we eat. So, take your fish oil tablet daily to combat this.

Poor sleep depletes mood-controlling neurotransmitters, including serotonin. Decreased serotonin leads to depression, mental fatigue, lowered pain threshold, and sugar cravings. Begin by tying various methods such as teas and Valerian drops hours before you attempt sleep to calm the body and prepare it for proper sleep.

Magnesium deficiency affects 50% of the population. Magnesium and vitamin B6 are co-factors in the production of several neurotransmitters. Take your cal-mag and B vitamins each day!

Chromium deficiency is common among those taking cholesterol lowering drugs. It is known to cause hypoglycemia and mood disorder. Be sure your multivitamin has your daily dose.

Birth control pills and Premarin deplete vitamin B6 which is needed to transform amino acids into tryptophan and phenylalanine to make effective neurotransmitters.

Vitamin C deficiency hurts production of dopomine which makes serotonin. Vitamin C plays a major role in the production of adrenal "fight or flight" hormone. Add extra vitamin C to combat fatigue.

Emotional stressful situations cause the body to release adrenaline, cortisol, and insulin. These encourage the brain to secrete serotonin. The more serotonin you need, the more you deplete your resources. I know it's tough, but stay away from stress at all cost.

Stimulants like caffeine, diet pills, sugar, and nicotine cause a rapid rise in blood-insulin levels. This causes the brain to release more of that precious serotonin. Serotonin makes us feel better for the moment, but it is short lived. You'll need another rush soon. Just stop, leave them out of diet. Make a pact today to begin.

Low thyroid function is associated with stress, depression, anxiety, and fatigue. Thyroid hormones help regulate concentration, mental clarity, moods, and proper brain chemistry. Make sure to have your thyroid tested annually if you suffer from fibromyalgia.

Low levels of vitamin D are associated with low moods and depression as well as pain. Have your levels checked annually if you suffer from fibromyalgia. I know you see me preach of the rays of goodness - sunshine - once spring hits. Make time to get out and lay out for 15-20 minutes daily. You'll be amazed at how much better you feel after a few days. Make you first, that's the only way this protocol works! When you're good, then you can care for those you love effectively.

The Whispered Ah is one of the classic procedures used in practice of The Alexander Technique. The Whispered Ah is a vocal procedure encouraging openness and relaxation in the neck, throat, and around the vocal folds. The Whispered Ah is a very effective stress reliever.

The Alexander technique encourages a more natural breathing by a process of unlearning rather than learning. Here you unleash detrimental habits, rather than practicing specific breathing exercises.

As you begin breathing ask your self the following questions:

How rapid is my breathing?

How deeply do I breathe?

Are my ribs moving as I breathe?

If so, which part of the rib cage is moving most?

How much movement is there in the abdominal region?

Do I feel and restriction in my breathing?

The 'ah' procedure

The first requirement in order to perform the whispered 'Ah' procedure, is to think of something amusing so that you smile or laugh in a natural manner. This frees the facial muscles and diaphragm, plus lifts the soft palette in the mouth

Next, let the tongue drop down behind the front teeth, allowing it to become softer.

Then, inhibit the urge to move without thought, give yourself directions and take care not to contract the head back and down, as you free the jaw and allow it to open in a slightly forwards direction.

Let your jaw drop freely and whisper an 'ah' sound on the outward breath, allowing your lungs to empty fully. Do not to contract down or force the air out. Let the breath come naturally.

The regular practice of lying down in the semi-supine position will help in encouraging the changes sought with the Alexander Technique, and is invaluable for maintaining a healthy spine. It is a way of giving yourself a ‘little Alexander lesson’ and some very valuable 'me time'.

Many people have found that this procedure can also be very successful in reducing stress, increasing vitality ,and reducing a wide variety of aches and pains. If done regularly, it can help align the spine and improve your overall posture. The semi-supine is best done in the morning, but if you suffer from insomnia you may find an improved night's sleep if you practice right before bed.

How to

Lie down on a fairly firm surface, like a mat or rug on the floor, with a couple of paperback books under your head to raise it slightly. Paperback books work best.

Bend your knees with your feet flat on the floor about shoulder-width apart. If the legs fall inward then move our feet closer together. If the legs fall outwards move the feet further apart

Let go of tension in your neck, shoulders, and back to allow your spine to lengthen.

How long and how often

To begin 10 minutes each day is ideal. Then begin to lengthen your time by one minute each day until you have reached 20 minutes. This is enough time to help restore suppleness and realignment of the spine, and to reconnect the relationship between your mind and body.

As you learn how to release tension, the lower back will gradually flatten on the ground. This might take weeks or months to happen, so please be patient with yourself. Many of these tensions have taken years to accumulate so they are not going to disappear overnight.

Meditation

As you lie in complete relaxation, give yourself the following directions:

Allow your neck to be free.

Think of your head going forward and up away from your spine.

Allow your back to lenghten and widen onto the ground.

Think of your sholuders widening away from one another.

Think of your knees pointing up to the ceiling.

As well as the physical benefits, the semi-supine practice will give you that all important time to be aware of yourself, to quiet your mind, and just stop for a few moments.

The Alexander Technique is an educational methodused worldwide for over 100 years. By teaching how to change faulty postural habits, it enables improved mobility, posture, performance and alertness along with relief of chronic stiffness, tension and stress.

People study the Technique for a variety of reasons. The most common is torelieve painthrough learning better coordination of the musculoskeletal system. The most far-reaching reason people study the Technique is to achievegreater conscious controlof their reactions.

Most of us have many habitual patterns of tension, learned both consciously and unconsciously. These patterns can be unlearned, enabling the possibility of new choices in posture, movement and reaction. Taking Alexander lessons you'll develop awareness of habits that interfere with your natural coordination. You'll learn how to undo these patterns and develop the ability to consciously redirect your whole self into an optimal state of being and functioning. Through direct experience you’ll learn how to go about your daily activities with increasingly greater ease and less effort.

In the bookChange Your Posture Change Your Lifeby Richard Brennan, explains the secret key to good posture is first realizing life is not an emergency. In the book Jean Liedloff, an American psychologist spent two and half years in the South American jungle with South American Indians. There she saw that they had little or not concept of time. In her book The Continuum Concept she relates that she saw the indigenous people never rush to finish one task so that they could get to the next. They were happy in the present moment focusing on whatever tasks they were doing. They were not thinking ahead to the future or having regrets about their past actions. As a result, she noticed, they were far happier and more content than people in developed countries. They laughed rather than cursed when things went wrong. They were far more alert and aware of things around them. Liedloff's experience challenged her radically Western
preconceptions of how we live.

The habit of rushing from one thing to the next is a problem that affects us physically, mentally, emotionally, and spiritually. It can cause anxiety which will make us depressed. It can affect us physically in such a way that our whole system is on red alert causing stress-related illnesses.

Give Yourself Time

Take time to work - it is the price of success.
Take time to meditate - it is the source of power.
Take time to play - it is the secret of perpetual youth.
Take time to read - it is the way to knowledge.
Take time to be friendly - it is the road to happiness.
Take time to laugh - it is the music of the soul.
Take time to love and be loved.

"The Alexander Technique is a method that works to change (movement) habits in our everyday activities. It is a simple and practical method for improving ease and freedom of movement, balance, support and coordination. The technique teaches the use of the appropriate amount of effort for a particular activity, giving you more energy for all your activities. It is not a series of treatments or exercises, but rather a reeducation of the mind and body. The Alexander Technique is a method which helps a person discover a new balance in the body by releasing unnecessary tension. It can be applied to sitting, lying down, standing, walking, lifting, and other daily activities..." - Alexander Technique

There are several thousand Alexander teachers worldwide. Most are members of one or more professional societies and most of these societies publish both a written and an on-line teachers' list. On the website check out each of the country listings. You'll find links to individual teacher's websites as well as links to the relevant certifying professional societies where you can locate those teachers who do not yet have a website.